'Rapunzel' coming to Oak Ridge Jr. Playhouse

Monday

Mar 4, 2013 at 6:42 PMMar 4, 2013 at 6:45 PM

More than just a story about a girl and her hair, the staged version of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale “Rapunzel” is offered by the Oak Ridge Junior Playhouse for youth audiences and told with warmth and wit.

by Judy DiGregorio

More than just a story about a girl and her hair, the staged version of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale "Rapunzel" is offered by the Oak Ridge Junior Playhouse for youth audiences and told with warmth and wit.

The tale begins when a devoted husband, to satisfy the hunger and intense cravings of his wife, steals a bunch of red radishes from the garden of a neighboring witch. But when he is caught in the act, the evil witch makes a hard bargain with the couple, forcing them to give her their soon to be born child.

Naming the girl "Rapunzel," the witch takes the child away and locks her in a tall doorless tower where the young girl spends her days alone, longing for friends and companionship. Perhaps she will find it when a young prince and his servant discover the tower in the woods.

But how will he get in? And how can he get past the witch?

"We're really pleased to be telling this story," Managing Artistic Director Reggie Law said. "Although it is well known, it's not one that audiences get to see a lot." He adds, "The tale is fascinating in the way it holds a mirror up to the family dynamics between parents and children."

Presented by East Tennessee Children's Hospital and AT&T Pioneers, public performances of "Rapunzel," are scheduled for Saturday, March 9, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and Sunday, March 10, at 2 p.m.

For more information, log on to www.orplayhouse.com or call (865) 482-9999. Tickets are $10 for all seats. Children under the 3 are not admitted. This production is also made possible through support from WUOT 91.9 FM, the Arts and Culture Alliance of Knoxville and the Tennessee Arts Commission.